1. Field of the Invention
Prior art configurations mount the individual components in a complicated fashion one after another around the solenoid valve.
2. Summary of the Invention
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a bistable solenoid valve that overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type and that has a simplified configuration and can, therefore, be produced with a low outlay and cost effectively.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a solenoid valve, including a housing of a non-magnetic material, the housing having two compartments and a wall with a receptacle, a valve body having an inlet and two outlets, a valve element moveably disposed in the valve body between two end positions corresponding respectively to different switching positions of the valve element, the two end positions of the valve element defining a middle position therebetween, the receptacle facing the middle position, at least one permanent magnet disposed in the receptacle for holding the valve element in a respectively assumed one of the two end positions, and a magnet coil for exerting on the valve element a magnetic force effecting a shift into a respective one of the two end positions, the magnet coil and the valve body accommodated in the two compartments. Preferably, the valve is part of a refrigerating device.
According to the invention, it is possible to reverse the sequence of the assembly of the components of the solenoid valve by virtue of the fact that the valve body and the magnet coil are, respectively, accommodated in compartments and the permanent magnet is held in a receptacle on a wall of the housing of the solenoid valve.
In contrast to the prior art, in accordance with the present invention, the components are mounted conveniently on the housing in sequence, a preformed receptacle for the permanent magnet and compartments for valve body and magnet coil permitting these components to be mounted relative to one another quickly, conveniently, and with a high degree of dimensional stability. Because the relative position of the components one to another is prescribed by the compartments and the receptacle, the exact positioning of the individual components relative to one another that is required for the reliable functioning of the solenoid valve results automatically.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the receptacle of the permanent magnet is, preferably, constructed as a recess of the housing open toward the housing interior. Such a configuration permits the permanent magnet to be disposed in direct contact with the valve body held in the housing.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, preferably, the permanent magnet is held in the recess by latching hooks. This permits the magnet to be mounted by simply being latched in.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the housing expediently includes two parts or shells that adjoin one another at a plane defined by longitudinal axes of the coil and of the valve body. These two parts can be latched to one another conveniently after fitting the magnet coil and valve body in their respective compartments.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, a permanent magnet can be disposed on each of the two parts such that the two permanent magnets are situated on either side of the parting plane of the two parts.
To be able to connect electric supply lines conveniently to the magnet coil, in accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the housing is, expediently, provided with a cover that permits access to supply terminals of the magnet coil.
In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, the cover is, expediently, connected to the remainder of the housing by a film hinge. Such a cover can be produced conveniently in one part with an adjoining region of the housing, for example, by injection molding.
In accordance with yet an added feature of the invention, the cover and an adjoining edge of the remainder of the housing, expediently, form a holder for a strain relief device of a supply cable of the magnet coil.
In accordance with yet an additional feature of the invention, the magnet coil has a supply cable and the cover has an adjoining edge with respect to the housing, and there is provided a strain relief device for the supply cable, the strain relief device disposed at the cover at the adjoining edge.
In accordance with again another feature of the invention, at least one of the housing and the cover has a strain relief device for the supply cable.
In accordance with again a further feature of the invention, the cover has a cover edge opposite the film hinge, the housing has a housing edge adjoining the cover edge when the cover is closed and the housing and the cover each have a strain relief device for the supply cable at the cover edge and the housing edge.
In accordance with again an added feature of the invention, the valve body is, preferably, embodied as a cylinder with an inlet in an axial center of the valve body and two outlets at opposing end faces. Such a configuration of the valve body permits convenient production, for example, by inserting two elements respectively forming a valve seat and an outlet into a cylindrical tube from the ends.
In accordance with again an additional feature of the invention, an inlet tube connected to the inlet is guided through a socket formed on the two parts of the housing. As such, the valve body is secured in its compartment both against rotation about its axis and against displacement in the direction of the axis.
In accordance with still another feature of the invention, the cylindrical valve body has a longitudinal direction, the housing has an interior, the receptacle of the permanent magnet is a recess of the housing open toward the interior, the housing has latching hooks holding the permanent magnet in the recess, and the latching hooks are spaced apart transverse to the longitudinal direction.
In accordance with still a further feature of the invention, there is provided a plurality of fastening lugs with different orientations is constructed on the outer surface of the housing for the purpose of flexibly assembling the solenoid valve in different application environments.
In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, the ends of the valve body are, preferably, exposed at the outer surface of the housing. Such a configuration permits the use of the housing both for valve bodies that are mounted in the housing in a fashion already fitted with outlet lines, and for valve bodies in the case of which the outlet lines are not fastened, in particular, not soldered, on the ends of the valve body until the valve body is fitted in the housing and, possibly, until the housing is mounted in its application environment. For the last case, in particular, it is expedient that the housing is produced from a heat resistant material, in particular, from a plastic such as polypropylene, for example, that withstands temperatures occurring during soldering of the connecting lines to the surface of the valve body without being damaged.
Other features that are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a bistable solenoid valve, it is, nevertheless, not intended to be limited to the details shown because various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.